Fox's Last Chance
by Teengamer
Summary: Fox is paying the price for making Krystal leave a year ago. Things change when he finds out he has the opportunity to take revenge on team Star Wolf, the people who took away everything he loved. Takes place after the default ending in Starfox Command.
1. Regret

**Fox's Last Chance**

**By: Teengamer**

Disclaimer: I do not own Starfox, seeing that I barely own anything.

Author's Note: This takes place after the default ending in Starfox: Command.

Chapter 1: Regret

Fox stared out the window of his room. He had not moved for what felt like an hour. He was alone, sitting in the dark with nothing to look at. Every night when there weren't any distractions, he would always be like this, always thinking about one person, _Krystal_.

It had been several months since he had last seen her, several months since he had watched her break away from the Star Fox team. Her words had pierced him like knives, and they were still fresh in his mind. _I'm sorry, Fox! I can't do this anymore. I'm going back to be with Panther and the rest of Star Wolf. _Fox had pleaded and begged for her to stay, but Krystal's mind was set. Even now, just the memory of their last meeting together brought tears to Fox's eyes.

He had been forced to wander the universe with only his robot ROB, and his best friend Falco Lombardi. His other friend, Slippy Toad, had gone to the planet Aquas to start a new life with his fiancée Amanda. Fox was happy for Slippy, but he couldn't help feeling jealous at the fact that Slippy was loved by someone, and didn't have to worry about problems which Fox now faced. Falco always tried to cheer up Fox, but to no avail. Fox could never change the fact that Krystal had left, and that would probably never see her again.

This had all started because he had pushed her away beforehand. A year ago, he had asked her to leave Star Fox because he was worried about her getting hurt. After the whole mess with the apparoids, he didn't want something to happen to her. He just didn't want to lose her. Every day and night Fox regretted this, for doing so had caused her to join Star Wolf. She did it to get back at Fox, to make him hurt on the inside. Fox had thought that she pretended to love Panther, a member of the Star Wolf team. After a close encounter with some new enemies, Krystal had rejoined Star Fox to help take down the Anglar Emperor in the bottom of the Venom Sea. Fox was relieved until the day that she left again. Why had she decided to go? Had she really fall in love with Panther, when she was only trying to use him? Fox pondered these questions whenever he was in his room, almost every night.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

Falco walked in; no doubt he was about to attempt to cheer up Fox for the umpteenth time.

Fox was caught by surprise when Falco said five simple words: "We have a new mission."

Team Star Fox had not had a mission ever since they defeated the Anglar Emperor. Fox was about to deny the invitation to go. He considered himself useless after all the poor choices he had made in his life. This opinion soon changed when Falco said: "It involves team Star Wolf."


	2. Resign

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of these characters, in case you thought things had changed. *sigh*

Chapter 2: Resign

"What?" Fox gasped, thinking he must have misunderstood Falco.

"I said that General Peppy has assigned us a mission that involves team Star Wolf," Falco said, "He wouldn't say anymore; we'll have to go accept it first."

Fox shook his head, "It doesn't matter; I'm not the pilot I used to be."

"Alright, I've had enough!" Falco suddenly picked up Fox, hoisting him up onto his shoulders, where Fox couldn't move or escape. "I'm sick and tired of you complaining about how useless you think you are; you are going to go on the mission, whether you want to or not!"

Falco started carrying Fox to the mission control room of the _Great Fox III_, a new ship that Slippy helped create before going to Aquas. The _Great Fox III_ very much resembled the original Great Fox, only it was silver and had new weapons (plus great interior decorating!).

"I know you think that you can't accomplish anything," Falco continued when Fox started to be temperamental, "but don't you see? This is your chance to make Krystal come back!"

Fox immediately fell silent. After a moment he said, "Krystal won't come back. She chose her path, and will never believe that she belongs to this team."

Falco finally set Fox down and looked him in the eyes. "But you do. You know that she deserves to be with us, and not with those other losers."

Fox lowered his gaze. Falco unexpectedly hoisted up Fox by the neck of his shirt. Fox's feet were dangling off the ground. "Listen buddy, you know I don't play around. You are going to go win her back, because you know where she needs to be in this universe. You love her, and want the best for her, am I right? Now let's go find them, or so help me I will throw you off this ship!"

Fox knew from experience that Falco wasn't lying.

"Fine. I'll go."

Falco abruptly dropped Fox and started walking away to the control room. Fox got up to his feet. He couldn't resist grinning a little. Falco was always so mysterious and unexpected. But in his mind, Fox knew every word that Falco had said was completely true. Fox stood there silently in thought.

"Hey bonehead! Are you coming or not?" Falco called out.

"Yes, I'm coming," Fox replied, running to the control room, "Let's go destroy our former competition!"


	3. Reprisal

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I bet whoever does must be a millionaire.

Chapter 3: Reprisal

"What have you got for me General Peppy?" Fox asked with his arms folded.

"It's great to see you again Fox! It seems only yesterday when we took down Andross-"

"Yeah, yeah," Falco interrupted, "Skip to the chase old-timer."

"Oh! Right," General Peppy snapped out of his reverie, "I almost forgot. There have been several reports of weapons being stolen from the Cornerian army supply. Even with our tight security, goods are being swiped right under our guard's noses. After looking through some old records and witness statements, we discovered that the parts stolen happen to match the exact models ships belonging to team-"

"Star Wolf," Fox finished for him. "So they're trying to upgrade their ships?"

"Exactly," General Peppy replied, "We need you to get those parts back, and to do whatever it takes to arrest the Star Wolf team members. They've been wanted for some time, with the exception of Krystal of course."

Fox chose not to say anything. Falco decided to break the silence, "We'll start right now. I think we can track them down easily enough."

"Good to hear. Your pay will be sent to you in-"

"I'm not in it for the money anymore," Fox said abruptly, walking out of the room.

"He's just going through a lot right now," Falco said, seeing Peppy's quizzical look, "I'm sure he'll be all right."

"Do you guys want an escort? I can send some backup to help you out."

"That won't be necessary. We'll take care of it on our own."

And without another word, Falco went to go join Fox.

"All systems are set and ready."

"Thanks ROB," Fox said, "Have you got any coordinates yet, Falco?"

"Hang on. . . . . . . . . Yes! Star Wolf is hanging around the Aquas system, not far from here. Maybe we can say hi to Slippy after we complete the mission."

The joke was to try and cheer Fox up, but Falco regretted it the moment he had said it. Just thinking of Slippy brought back too many memories of being with the gang, but now those memories were meaningless; what only mattered now was the present, and what was about to happen.

"All right ROB, set course for planet Aquas. Once we reach the outer reaches of the system go ahead and switch us to manual control," Fox said.

"Request granted. Course set. Prepare for launch."

Immediately the ships jumped to hyperspace to meet a foe they wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

As soon as they reached the edges of the planet's outer reaches, though not close enough to Aquas' gravity pull, ROB switched the controls to manual. The search had begun.

It had been a long time of flying around the system, checking behind asteroids, and generally just looking for other ships on radar. Falco and Fox were starting to lose hope before they finally yielded results.

"It's been three hours!" Falco complained, "Where the heck are these guys?"

"Does this answer your question?" said a familiar voice on the voice communicator.

"Wolf!" Fox exclaimed.

Four ships suddenly appeared from what seemed like nowhere and began shooting at Fox and Falco. The two friends began to take evasive action by doing barrel rolls and other maneuvers to avoid the oncoming blaster bolts.

"How convenient of both of you to come visit us, Star Fox. Now we can eliminate you once and for all!" Wolf said in his mocking, low voice.

"You won't even get the chance, Wolf!" Fox cried out.

Falco and Fox slowly started to fight back, shooting their own blaster bullets at their enemy. They weren't doing very well, considering that they were outnumbered, but they tried their best to drive back team Star Wolf.

"Don't try and resist us Fox; you just can't win," Krystal decided to speak unexpectedly.

"Krystal, I . . ."

Fox might have tried to say something really wise, or maybe even apologetic, but due to the fact that Panther's ship was bombarding him with silver-colored bullets, he was had to concentrate on more important things, such as not dying.

"Don't talk to her!" Panther yelled, "You have no right considering how you've treated her in the past! Besides, Krystal is with Panther now, and you don't deserve to even be in her presence!" Panther always had this thing for talking in the third person, and while that may seem adorable at times, it made him look as if he was the most annoying guy in the universe to Fox.

Falco cried out, "Fox! I don't think we can take them anymore! We have to retreat!"

This was the first time Fox had ever heard Falco sound this panicked, and he was right for that matter. Team Star Wolf had a strategy of teaming up two people to one. Leon and Krystal were surrounding Falco, while Panther and Wolf attacked Fox. To make things worse, all the Star Wolf members were shooting powerful silver blaster bolts. Fox assumed that these new weapons were stolen from Corneria.

"Your right Falco, I guess we'll have to-"

"Keep shooting the enemy!" a voice rang out. Another ship flew into view, and began taking on the foe.

"Slippy! What are you doing here?" Fox exclaimed, overjoyed.

"Peppy called me; He was worried you guys wouldn't last long against Star Wolf. Apparently he was right!"

"Shouldn't you be at home with Amanda?" Falco asked, still thrilled at hearing his long lost friend.

Slippy replied, "Amanda and the kids will be fine. I'm glad you guys were close; I might not have made it in time."

It was an enormous relief to have Slippy helping out, so Fox couldn't help but say, "We have some serious catching up to do when this is over."

"Copy that!" Slippy said happily.

Slippy's ship was quite famous for its plasma shot, and to top that off Slippy had supreme accuracy, even without a locking system. The fight around Aquas soon began to gradually turn around in Star Fox's favor.

As the fight wore on, all the ships on both sides were getting closer to Aquas' gravity pull. And as the brawl continued, Fox tried to tell Krystal anything he could: his feelings for her, an apology, anything. But every time he attempted to communicate with her, Panther would try and get at him with every bit of firepower possible.

Things were starting to look bleak. Falco and Fox were growing tired, and even Slippy, who had only just begun to fight, was not the pilot he used to be. But with new weapons and fast agility, team Star Wolf seemed fresh and ready to win the fight.

"Just give up Fox," Wolf said triumphantly, "You're not worth our time, and what we've taken from Corneria is none of your business."

"If we go down, then you're coming down with us!" Fox yelled.

"You fool!" Leon exclaimed, "Don't you know what we are capable of? Panther, deploy the PQ-7!"

"With pleasure!" Panther laughed. Panther's ship began to glow, as if it was a dim light about to flicker on.

"Get out of here now!" Slippy said in a worried tone, "A PQ-7 is a very powerful device! Save yourself while you can!"

"What about you Slippy?" Falco said.

"I can take care of myself, just get out of here!"

Star Wolf tried to hold them off, but Fox and Falco managed to get far away enough to jump to hyperspace. Slippy didn't have the same luck, however. Before making a getaway jump Fox watched Slippy fight like a wounded animal from a pack of hungry predators. Panther unleashed a giant beam of light, and it hit Slippy with tremendous force.

"NO! SLIPPY!" Fox screamed.

Slippy's ship hurtled down toward Aquas, being pulled to the ground. Fox couldn't watch anymore. He and Falco sped up to hyperspace away from the heinous act that had just occurred.

Falco didn't say anything on the way back to Corneria, and neither did Fox. A deep hatred began to overtake Fox; A powerful serge of anger flowing through his body. Star Wolf was to blame for every bad thing that had happened in his life! It was time that he destroyed them, never to be heard from again! No one would stand in Fox's way, for he would willingly crush anything that interfered!

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, I might have killed Slippy, and yes, Fox does seem to be getting in touch with his darker side, but it had to be done. I also apologize for the lack of detail; I was kind of in a rush to get this chapter done.

Oh, and in case any of you are wondering, reprisal means a violent act of destruction in retaliation of one's actions.

I hope you're all looking forward to my next chapters!


	4. Remorse

Disclaimer: I dis the claimer, I claim the diser, and I disclaim the er.

Chapter 4: Remorse

The sun was barely visible over the mountains of Aquas. The sky was beautiful at this time of day, for the sunset caused it to be a deep red with pink and orange clouds over the shining blue ocean. But neither sky nor the sunset could show the terrible thing that had just occurred.

Four ships landed in front of the base of the mountains, on the land near the ocean's edge. One of the cockpits opened up, and Krystal jumped out. She immediately ran over to the lead ship, as Wolf jumped out.

"How can you possibly think that destroying Slippy would help?" Krystal yelled at Wolf. She had her hands up in the air, as if she was about to bring them down in an attack.

Wolf just stared at her.

"Well?" Krystal practically screamed, exasperated. Wolf still remained silent. Krystal turned to Panther, who was watching her while standing next to Leon. "And you! Why did you have to let the PQ-7 hit Slippy's ship? He was not the target you were supposed to aim for!"

"Believe me, Panther never meant harm to the frog, only Fox and his friend," Panther tried to explain.

Krystal knew that Panther was telling the truth, but she still remained angry, "Slippy _is_ Fox's friend! And he used to be my friend too, you know!"

Now it was Panther's turn to be silent.

Krystal just couldn't let go of the fact that Slippy had died. Earlier she had gone to see what happened as soon as Slippy had been hit. The mess was horrible. What hadn't been totally obliterated by the PQ-7 or had been burned to a crisp by the planet's atmosphere was completely and totally drenched in water and blood. Slippy's ship had crashed into the ocean of Aquas, and even though the force of impact wasn't that hard, Slippy had been dead before his ship hit the water. Krystal didn't let team Star Wolf know, but she had wept over the remains of Slippy's ship, and silently promised to make it up to him one day, she just didn't know how yet.

Now she wanted to know why Slippy's fate had been so violently sealed.

"Do any of you have anything to say?" Krystal was close to tears.

"I didn't want this to happen," The whisper came from Wolf, who was looking at the ground with an unreadable expression on his face.

Krystal turned around, "What?"

"I said that I didn't want this to happen. We had not planned on Slippy Toad to come fight; we knew he had already settled down on Aquas, that's why we made our hideout in this system. He didn't really pose any threat. We believed that he wouldn't really care about us and therefore would be harmless."

Krystal couldn't think of anything to say.

"I'm sorry for what I did, and I hope you'll forgive all of us," Wolf said, and both Leon and Panther nodded.

After a moment's silence, Krystal finally spoke, "Alright, I forgive you, and I accept your apology, but I will never forget what you did."

Wolf nodded, "I expected nothing more. Let's camp here; it's too dangerous to go back to the hideout on the asteroid. I bet Fox will come back with a Cornerian fleet to help him out."

"Fine, but first I'm going to find Amanda and tell her what has happened to her husband," Krystal walked away.

Leon muttered to Panther, "You still think she's on our side, and not Fox's?"

"Only time will tell. But Panther knows Krystal will be loyal to us as long as we treat her with respect."

And that was the last thing said for the rest of the night.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, but I thought you guys needed to know what was happening down on Aquas.


	5. Responsibility

Disclaimer: This stuff I'm writing doesn't belong to me, but I'll never say no to gifts anyone decides to buy me! ;-)

Chapter 5: Responsibility

"Slippy is really dead?"

"For the fifth time General Peppy, yes."

"This is just such a shock. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you had let me send backup-"

"It doesn't matter!" Fox growled, "Slippy's dead and whether you helped or not doesn't really matter now, does it? Star Wolf has gone too far, and we have to act now if they are to pay for their actions."

"Fox," General Peppy said, "you need to focus on the task at hand. The-"

"The task at hand is to avenge Slippy's death or die trying!"

"Fox!" General Peppy said sternly, "Your responsibility to Corneria is to make sure that Star Wolf is captured, or in very least that the parts are given back, understand? Slippy would agree with me, I know it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I was worried about you and Falco fighting alone, so I contacted Slippy to help you, as you already know. When he agreed, he told me that if he died, to tell you it was necessary. He even told his wife and family to not expect him to return. I'm sorry Fox, I should have told you earlier, but I didn't really believe he would be defeated. I've just been living in the past for a long time. It never seemed possible that. . ." Peppy couldn't finish the rest of his sentence.

Fox was choking back a sob. "So he knew. He knew he would die."

Peppy nodded, silently weeping, but doing his best to conceal it.

Falco, who was watching the conversation, stepped forward. "He was a good man, Fox. He sacrificed himself and his family to help us. You know we'll never forget that."

Fox nodded. After a few minutes of pulling himself back together, he said, "We should start right away with the operations. Star Wolf won't stay around for long, they committed a federal crime. Your right General Peppy, it's my duty to make sure the Lylat system is safe."

General Peppy beamed, "And I'm sure Slippy would agree with you."

"What about Krystal?" Falco asked,

"I'll deal with my personal problems later. Right now we need to focus on the mission we were assigned." And without another word, Fox and Falco turned off the monitor and left the bridge of the ship.

Back in Corneria, Peppy sat down behind his desk and sighed, "I just hope those two don't try anything stupid."

* * *

Author's Note: Once again, I apologize for the short chapter. I'm just running out of ideas right now. You're welcome to give me suggestions as to how this story progresses.


	6. Restitution

Disclaimer: I disclaim this. It's that simple.

Chapter 6: Restitution

"What?"

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I just . . ."

Amanda stopped talking. Her eyes were becoming moist. _She's taking it better than I thought, _thought Krystal, as she went over to Amanda to comfort her.

The sun over Aquas was completely gone now, and left behind it a beautiful scene of stars in its place. It hadn't taken long for Krystal to find Amanda's house, even in the dim light, since there weren't many occupants living on Aquas. Slippy and Amanda lived in a cabin of sorts, which stuck out immediately from the nature surrounding it.

"I already knew this might come," said Amanda, "Slippy told me he might not come back."

"What? How? What happened? What did he say?"

Amanda managed a weak smile. "So many questions. It's been a while since we've talked, hm? Alright, well my answer shouldn't take too long.

"We were making lunch for the kids when we received a message from General Peppy. He asked Slippy if he would be willing to help Fox fight, (since they happened to be right outside our planet). Slippy agreed, but he felt that he wouldn't last long. He hasn't flown in a while, you know. So he told me he might die, and whether I tried to stop him or not, he would help out his friend. So we said goodbye, and that was that."

Krystal didn't know how to react.

"So he knew?"

"He knew."

Now Krystal felt mixed emotions, because she needed to remain loyal to Star Wolf, but she felt Amanda deserved the right to know. After a few moments, Krystal decided what she would do.

"I think you should know who killed Slippy. It was Star Wolf's doing."

Amanda's face darkened. "I know who killed my husband, and I also know you work for them. Well, you can tell them that I won't charge restitution, but I will never forget what they did."

Krystal nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable in Amanda's sudden dangerous presence. "I will."

"Good," Amanda's face brightened ever so slightly, "Krystal, would you like to meet my kids?"

This question was so unexpected that Krystal nearly fell out of her chair.

"Sure!" she said, surprised.

"Phineas! Alder!"

Two boys came rushing into the room, neither of which could not be more than a couple years old. One of them greatly resembled his father, and the other had a lighter shade of skin but also had the same looks about him.

"Krystal, this is Phineas," The darker skinned boy stepped forward and gave a little bow, "And this is Alder," The other boy did likewise.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance," Krystal said, smiling.

"They're twins, in case you were wondering. We had them four months ago!" Amanda said proudly.

"_Four _Months!" Krystal gasped, "But they're already walking!"

"Oh yes. Our species grow faster than yours, and their mind even faster."

Alder spoke up, "It's true, for Phineas and I have been speaking for two months."

Phineas then started talking, "But when we reach a certain age, our physical and mental growth stop. This occurs usually after a few years."

Krystal laughed a little. "No wonder Slippy wasn't that tall when I was. . ." She trailed off, not wanting to think about her days with team Star Fox.

Amanda nodded, "Yes. Now you should go. Many creatures hunt at this hour in the night. It was good to see you."

Krystal smiled and got up, "Goodbye Amanda."

Before Krystal stepped out of the house, Amanda called out one last piece of advice, "Forgiveness is one of the best paths we can take Krystal, so you would do well to consider Fox's apology."

Krystal froze. _How does she know about that? _Contemplating Amanda's statement, Krystal moved out of the cabin and into the darkness.


	7. Regards

Disclaimer: I disclaim my fanfiction, although I'm not entirely sure what disclaim means.

Chapter 7: Regards

"Alright, let's get this over with. What are your plans, Fox?"

"Patience, Falco. You can't stalk a wolf empty-handed."

"Har har har. I'm laughing with mirth. Enough jokes. What do you got?"

Fox sighed. Falco wasn't the kind of guy who waits. He was the kind of guy who gets right down to business, without precautions.

"Incoming transmission from the Cornerian fleet."

"Thanks ROB. Put it on the monitor."

"Bill Grey speaking here. Permission to board the bridge."

"Granted," Fox said, "ROB, how many ships are boarding the _Great Fox III_?

"Two."

"Only two?" Falco exclaimed, "You must be short-circuiting, tin can!"

"Negative. My systems say that two ships are boarding."

Fox didn't seem surprised. General Peppy knew Fox was able to command a good small-sized force better than a whole fleet of ships.

Bill walked into the mission control room with a rather short companion by his side. "Bill Grey at your service!" he saluted.

The second pilot did likewise, "Dash Bowman reporting, sir!"

Fox grimaced. Bill, he knew. The kid, no. But Dash's face rang a bell. It looked familiar.

"Alright Dash, if you want to be under my command, you have to follow my every order. Got it?"

"Understood, sir!

Fox was already beginning to like the kid. "What is your ship equipped with?"

"Twin lasers and a newly equipped multi-lock, sir!" Dash shouted.

Fox nodded. Locking lasers were good for this kind of battle. "Okay. Bill, what do you got?"

While Fox continued to talk to their new comrades, Falco went over to the main computer to try and find Star Wolf's location.

"Do you need assistance?" ROB asked.

"Shut up, bucket-head. I can do this myself."

As Falco continued scanning Aquas for life-forms, he became aware of something he hadn't noticed before. "Uh, Fox? You might want to come see this."

Fox stopped talking and went over to Falco, "What's up?"

"Well, as you know, there's hardly any land on Aquas."

Fox nodded his head, "Right, it's an ocean planet."

"Well the only land on Aquas happens to be surrounded by enormous mountains," Falco continued, "and that's the spot where Star Wolf chose to camp."

Fox swore. This would mean that the battle would be too risky to fight in ships unless Star Wolf flew out of their disclosed location. Instead of a dogfight in the air, it would be a shootout on the land.

"Alright, change of plans. Who here has a hand-blaster?" Fox looked around. Falco and he did, of course. Bill shook his head sadly, but Dash immediately looked like he wanted to say something.

"You don't need permission to speak Dash, just say it."

Dash smiled, "I don't have a blaster, but I do have this!" He pulled out a short metal stick out of his belt. At once it expanded to a full sized staff, adjusting perfectly to Dash's height. At both ends of the staff were a pair of glowing red gems.

Fox gasped. It looked just like. . . .

"Hold on!" Fox rushed up to what used to be Krystal's bedroom in the upper part of the_ Great Fox III_. He began searching the room until he finally found what he was looking for.

As soon as he reached the control room Fox pulled out Krystal's last possession that was still on the ship - a staff exactly identical to Dash's. It began to expand to Fox's height. The only difference between the two weapons (besides the different lengths) was that Krystal's had glowing purple gems at the ends.

"They're the same," Fox said, "How did you get yours, Dash?"

"I received it from my grandfather, Andross. That was before you killed him, of course."

Fox and Falco were stunned into silence. After a moment, Falco broke the hushed scene, "The kid's joking, right?" he then turned to Dash, "You're kidding, right?"

Bill spoke up, "He is not joking Falco, but don't be alarmed. We, the Cornerian fleet, have found him trustworthy."

Fox didn't let his guard down, "Dash, if you're not lying, this means I killed your grandfather."

"It's alright sir, I know he was a bad man. I won't vow revenge or anything."

"Right," Fox said slowly, "Do you know how your grandfather got his staff?"

Dash shook his head, "I inherited it. I was barely old enough to know what's going on when he gave it to me. He told me to never lose it, and to make sure I found its secrets within."

_Secrets? _Fox wondered, _Could he mean the magical capabilities of the staff?_

"And have you found any of these. . . er, secrets?"

Dash shook his head yet again, "No, but I can fight with it pretty well!"

Fox's mind raced. He tried to think of a plan that would work with the current circumstances.

"Ok, I have an idea. Falco, Dash and me will go down to the surface and arrest Star Wolf. Bill, since he doesn't have a weapon, will wait up here. If Star Wolf kills us or gets away, Bill will track them and bring more troops. Everyone understand?"

The plan seemed like a good idea to everybody (ROB included!). Dash, Fox and Falco began to prepare their ships to land on Aquas. Before they left, Fox pulled Dash aside.

"Loyalty or no loyalty, you're still the descendant of Andross," Fox growled, "So I'll be keeping a close eye on you. Don't try and pull anything."

Dash didn't react at first. "Yes, sir!" he said eventually.

Fox just sighed and went to his _Arwing II_.

"Prepare for launch."

The three ships then left the hanger to face the danger on Aquas below.

* * *

Author's note: I took the glowing red staff idea from Galadriadhar and his fanfiction: Return to Dinosaur Planet. Thanks Gala!

Keep the reviews going! New ideas are always welcome and they really help!


	8. Respite

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, and I'm extremely mad at the fact that they haven't appeared in any new games!

Author's Note: Thanks to Galadriadhar for pointing out some errors.

Chapter 8: Respite

It was the middle of the night on Aquas, and the moon shone brightly in the middle of the sky. Enjoyment of the beautiful climate and scenery would probably occur if there wasn't an evil space league assembled somewhere on the planet. _Now _was the time to take action, and _now _was the time to finally end Star Wolf and avenge Slippy. Fox thought these things as he, Falco, and Dash hid their ships they had just landed and set up a camp.

"Alright guys, this is our base from now on," Fox announced, "You will always report to me in this clearing at all times unless you _tell _me where you're going, understand?"

Falco nodded and Dash saluted. At that time they continued setting up their living space; there was no telling how long they'd be there. This would be perhaps the only rest and respite they'd get before the fight with Star Wolf began. As soon as a fire was started, Fox began telling Dash all he knew about Star Wolf to prepare him, (without going into detail about Krystal). When Fox was satisfied that Dash was "educated" enough about the enemy's tactics, he went away to the edge of the clearing near the forest undergrowth to keep watch. The night sky was bright with stars and moons as well as neighboring planets.

As soon as he was sure that Fox was out of earshot, Dash asked Falco, "So what's the whole deal with Krystal being on Wolf's team? I thought she was with Fox . . ."

Falco sighed, "It's a long story kid. She _was _with Fox, but certain things happened. . . ." It was then that Falco told Dash the whole deal with Fox and Krystal, and what was going on. ". . . .So now Fox has to defeat Star Wolf, and get Krystal back."

"So do you think that she'll forgive him? Do you think that she'll come back?"

Falco sighed again. "We can only hope kid. We can only hope." At that point they both went to sleep, safe by Fox's watchful eye.

* * *

Long after Falco and Dash fell asleep, Fox continued to sit on his rock, staring at the night sky. He had been like this all night, contemplating all the recent events that had just happened. In the evening was always when he could remember things clearly, the images in perfect definition. Krystal running away from him in tears. General Peppy's encouraging smile. Slippy's ship plummeting towards Aquas. . . .

_CRACK! _

Fox quickly stood up, aroused from his depression. The sound had come out of nowhere, as if someone had stepped on a twig. He could have easily imagined it, but his keen ears and sharp senses made him sure that someone had just been spying on the camp.

Fox immediately left their area, searching for whoever (or whatever) had just been watching them. As he fled into the thickening jungle, he looked back at the clearing, hoping Falco and Dash would be safe. Fox turned his head forward, hearing a faint noise ahead of him. He charged forward, the sound of footsteps getting closer. After a few minutes or so, the noise stopped and Fox halted his pursuit. Panting, he took a look around himself. He was in a particularly dense part of the undergrowth.

_BANG!_

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there came of a puff of smoke and Fox was temporarily blinded from anything.

"What the h-! ", Fox stopped what he was saying as the smoke cleared to reveal a lone figure in front of him. The person, (at least it appeared to be a person of some sort), was clad in ragged bands of cloth wrapped around their body so that the only thing exposed was a pair of gleaming violet eyes.

Fox silently but hastily pulled out his blaster and kept it pointed at eye level toward the figure. Whatever it was, it didn't appear to be armed, but Fox didn't let his guard down.

"Who are you?" Fox stammered, clearly nervous, but his grip did not falter.

It was a moment before he, she, it, whatever, answered. When they finally spoke it was in a much muffled tone, as their mouth was covered, so their voice was barely understandable and completely indistinguishable in any sort of way.

"I am Kursed, a guardian of this planet. Who are you and why are you here with weapons?"

The reply threw Fox off guard. He did not expect any member of Aquas to be near their encampment, let alone recognize that they meant harm to a certain group taking refuge nearby.

"That is my business, but since you are so interested I guess I should tell you that one of my enemies is using your planet as a safe haven after committing grand theft as well as murder. I am sent here on Cornerian orders to take him into custody."

Fox waited for Kursed to start questioning him, but instead she turned around and sat on a nearby rock (Fox had a distinct impression that Kursed was female based on her figure). She then turned her head and stared at the sky. Fox slowly lowered his gun. This intelligent inhabitant of Aquas didn't seem to pose any threat, just concern.

After a minute or two of deep contemplation Kursed spoke, "I know who you are looking for, and where they are. But I must now ask, is this the only reason you are chasing them? To arrest them?"

Fox stiffened. He had kept trying to keep Krystal out of his mind, to fully immerse himself into the mission. Now he was reminded of her yet again, and his problem of facing her once more became apparent. What would he say? How could he possibly win her back?

"N-no . . . . . no, someone on Wolf's team . . . . . well, I made a mistake a long time ago with the most extraordinary person I've ever met. Her name is Krystal, and I don't know if she'll ever forgive me now . . ." That was when Fox launched into his life-long story about himself and Krystal, how they met, what they had been through, and his true reason for wanting to track down Star Wolf. He wasn't exactly sure why he was telling someone he had only known for a few seconds, but there was something comforting, something familiar about Kursed's attentiveness. The guardian was entirely still the whole time Fox talked, never speaking, never even blinking.

Fox finished, ". . . and now I don't know if she'll speak to me, because of the biggest, stupidest mistake I've made, and I've regretted ever since then." Fox sighed, out of breath. It must have been at least hours that he had been talking, and he was exhausted. After finally catching his breath, he muttered "I don't think I'm worthy enough to deserve her anymore."

Kursed stood up. Fox didn't look up at her. With a touch of conclusiveness in her tone of voice, Kursed said, "The people you are looking for are to the north, near the mountains." She then turned her back on Fox. "Sometimes the best gift a man can ever give a woman and recieve respite for is honesty. I am sure you won't have a problem with that." With those last words came another _BANG! _and she was gone in a puff of smoke as before. Fox wasn't sure how he knew, but he was under the impression that Kursed was grinning when she departed so mysteriously. Now he just stood there, pondering that single bit of advice she had left him.

Fox looked up, and with a shock realized that it was the break of dawn. He rushed back to the camp, hoping to find Falco and Dash unharmed. There was an enemy to be stalked, and a battle to be fought.

* * *

Another Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, I KNOW you already figured out Kursed's identity. Just because it's obvious to you doesn't mean it's obvious to Fox. ;-)

Extra points to anyone who can tell me where I got the idea for Kursed (not you though, Gala!)

Hint: It's Nintendo, but not just Star Fox Command.


	9. Revenge

Disclaimer: All rights go to Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, and all of the other Japanese producers whose names I cannot pronounce.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! It's clearly been a long while since I've updated, so I thought I'd surprise you guys by updating at 10:10 PM on 10/10/10! :D Hope you enjoy, and thanks to everyone who has waited patiently for this chapter to arrive.

Chapter 9: Revenge

Fox arrived at the encampment to find Dash and Falco awake and readily equipped for battle. Dash had his staff slung on his belt whereas Falco had his blaster. Both were standing idly, waiting for Fox to appear.

As soon as Fox was visible, Falco shouted out, "It's about time you got here! I was on the verge of thinking Star Wolf captured you!" He then proceeded to punch Fox, rather harshly, on the shoulder when he got within arm's reach.

"I'm sorry," Fox replied, rubbing his arm, "I was...er...getting some fresh air."

Falco and Dash just stared at him. Fox realized his excuse was nonsensical and hastily said, "The point is, I found out where Wolf's encampment is. In the North, near the mountains."

Dash cheered. Falco opened his mouth but Fox cut him off, "I'll tell you how I found out later. We need to act now! Before they get a chance to escape. Not even Bill will be able to intercept them for very long."

It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. The other two colleagues silently agreed and packed up the rest of their supplies in the camp. Fox checked his blaster. Satisfied, he hesitantly looked at Krystal's staff, which was sitting in the cockpit of his concealed _Arwing II_. After contemplating for a few minutes, Fox walked over and hooked it into his belt. It felt right at home, reminding Fox of the days back on Dinosaur Planet. It's now or never, Fox thought grimly, The time has come for this to end.

* * *

Panther and Leon were on watch. Krystal had been missing for quite a while, and the assumption was that Star Fox had taken her captive. Wolf had put the two on strict orders to remain at the edge of the clearing and wait for their enemies to appear.

They were therefore surprised to see Krystal alive and well, entering the camp looking quite unharmed.

"Where in the world have you been?" Panther ran over to Krystal and embraced her.

Krystal quickly pushed him away and headed toward her ship. "I was informing Amanda of her loss."

"We know that!" Leon objected, "But surely it cannot have taken all night to have done that?"

Krystal stopped short. "I...um...got a little side-tracked on the way back."

Before Leon or Panther could inquire of Krystal's response, Wolf had returned from his _Wolfen_ and loudly announced, "Star Fox is about to attack on land, according to my scanner. Get ready. Krystal, I want you to get out of here."

"No!" Krystal retorted, "There is no reason-"

"You're going to be Fox's number one target!" Wolf interrupted, "And I don't care what you've got to say! We can't risk it. Get on your ship and leave the planet to our new hideout. They'll most likely have someone posted on the outside orbiting Aquas, so use the new cloaking device we smuggled."

Krystal could tell that nothing else she could say would change Wolf's mind at this point. Furious, she stormed off into the undergrowth in the direction of her ship.

* * *

Fox signaled Dash and Falco to stop. Everything was dead silent. The three comrades were still, looking ahead intently for signs of movement. Star Wolf was ahead. They could all sense it. Another moment of observation, and then they continued forward.

It only took a few minutes for Star Fox to arrive in the clearing. They were facing the very base of the mountains, in which a few large rocks stood in the middle, making for the perfect battlefield and giving Wolf's team a slight advantage.

Wolf, Panther, and Leon stood in front of these rocks, their blasters drawn and held at their sides. All three were staring at Fox, clearly not surprised at his appearance. Krystal was nowhere in sight. Good, Fox thought mildly, No distractions.

Fox wasted no time in getting his message across, "By order of the Cornerian fleet, you three are under arrest for grand theft and murder. You may surrender now or be taken into custody by force."

Wolf snorted. "Skip the pleasantries, Fox. You know very well what my answer is."

"So be it." Fox pulled out his blaster. Falco did likewise while Dash unhooked his staff, which extended to full height.

Wolf and Leon darted behind the rocks, blasters at the ready. Panther, however, stayed put. Tossing his gun aside, he pulled out what appeared to be a dagger. It extended like Dash's staff and turned into a double-edged metal spear with a curved flat blade on each end. He then assumed a battle stance, motioning Dash to come forward.

Dash glanced at Fox, to which he whispered, "It's alright. I'll take care of him." Dash took a few steps forward and assumed a position of his own.

Fox nodded to Falco, and both pointed at the rocks Wolf and Leon were hiding behind.

Everything was still and silent for a moment, and then the fight had begun.

The sounds of blasters and the metallic clangs of staffs could be heard all around as they echoed off of the rock face of the mountain. Wolf had fired first at Fox from around the rock, which Fox easily dodged and began rapidly firing back. Falco was similarly engaged with Leon on the other side of the clearing. Dash and Panther were locked in combat in the middle, both fiercely twirling their weapons around. Panther had an interesting style of attack, in which he would spin his spear above his head and strike forward, before jumping back into a defensive pose. He was evenly matched by Dash, who effortlessly blocked each advance Panther made and struck back every once in a while.

Not bad, Fox noted mentally as he charged another shot in Wolf's direction.

It was to this extent that the fighting continued for at least an hour. Neither side seemed to be making much progress, but both were determined to remain resolute and win.

Things began to change when amidst all of the chaos a scream occurred. Falco had somersaulted to the side and struck Leon, right in the shoulder. Leon had now fallen into a fetal position, boldly trying to nurse his wound. It was obvious that he would no longer be able to continue in the brawl. As Leon had dropped his weapon from the sheer pain of his new injury, Falco swiftly rushed forward to collect it. Just as skilled with two blasters as he was with one, Falco now advanced on Wolf from the other side of the rocks, leaving Wolf with no cover and forcing him to concentrate on the firing from both Fox and Falco.

This small victory was short-lived, however. In the middle of the battlefield it was plain to see that Dash was beginning to get tired. Panting heavily, he was no longer able return the blows but rather block the attacks from Panther, who was still full of energy and eagerly advancing on Dash.

Fox sensed something was wrong and turned to see the duel continue. At that very moment he was forced to watch helplessly when, as if in slow motion, Panther swung his spear around and struck Dash's head with the flat side of his blade. Dash was flown to the side and hit the ground, unconscious.

All of the anger and hatred that Fox had been trying to keep contained suddenly seemed to explode within himself. Panther. Panther, whom Krystal had run off with and convinced her to come back to Star Wolf. Panther, who had fired the PQ-7 and ultimately killed Slippy. Panther, who now gazed at the vulnerable Dash with cold eyes and a sly smile across his face.  
Fox could not contain himself any longer. Holstering his blaster, he pulled out Krystal's staff and ran forward, screaming a cry of rage. Panther reacted immediately and held his spear in front of him. Fox struck out with his own and began dueling Panther like he had never done before.

Twirling the staff with skill and accuracy, Fox landed several blows to Panther before his opponent was able to strike back. Enraged and fueled by his hatred, Fox continued on mercilessly. Nothing else seemed to matter. Images passed through his mind and all he could think of was the many events leading up to this moment. Slippy's ship, hurtling through Aquas' atmosphere. Dash, unconscious on the ground. Krystal, her face full of tears as she refused Fox and ran away from him...

It was this thought in particular that aggravated Fox the most. After striking at Panther once again, Fox lept up high and brought the staff down at full force, breaking the soft ground beneath him and sending vibrations outwards. This massive ground smash brought Panther to his knees, his spear flying out of his grasp. Exposed and powerless, Panther looked up in horror at Fox, whose countenance was twisted and infuriated.

Fox tossed Krystal's staff aside and pulled out his blaster. He took three steps forward, bringing up his gun against Panther's forehead, right between the eyes.

"No more," Fox growled. Every fiber of his being felt inflamed, burning with a passionate hatred. It was over. Nothing could stop him; He was going to get his revenge. He was going to pull the trigger.

"NO!"


	10. Reprieve

Disclaimer: Even if it's my life-long ambition, I do not own Star Fox.

Chapter 10: Reprieve

The cry rang out and rebounded against the rock face, echoing across the clearing. As the sound slowly diminished, it left an absolute silence. Nothing broke the quietus; not a creature could be heard. Even the wind seemed to be muted, waiting for a response.

Everyone in the clearing was at a stand-still, either unconscious or watching the stolid and unmoving Fox. His focus was unfazed, the gun in his hand still pointed at Panther's forehead. He was so close, so ready to take down his adversary. Nothing was supposed to stop him from achieving his goal, and yet only one voice in the entire universe had just done so. Had it been anyone else his concentration would not have been affected in the slightest, neither would his finger stop from pulling the trigger. But nonetheless he hesitated now, awaiting to hear the voice again, to make sure that he wasn't imagining it in his mind.

When he didn't hear anything, Fox broke the silence in a low growl, "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now."

Panther remained quite still, staring at the ground and apparently refusing to reply. Either he knew death was imminent or he couldn't think of any reason good enough. Fox felt a surge of satisfaction and made to charge up the blaster until his actions were halted once again by the voice.

"Don't kill him!"

Fox was sure of it this time. But he didn't move a muscle. Without turning around, he said aloud, "He killed Slippy."

"I know. But that wasn't the intention. Leon fired the PQ-7 half-hazardly. It could have hit anyone-"

"Don't you get it?" Fox yelled, his cold eyes still fixed on Panther, "He deserves to die! Slippy was murdered at his command, and he was going to kill Dash too! I can still see the hatred in his eyes. He has no right to live any longer."

"But Slippy and Dash were fighting just as much, willing to put their lives on the line. They knew what the risks were."

Fox couldn't take this for much longer. He wrenched his gaze from Panther, thrust his head up towards the sky, and screamed, "HE'S A MURDERER!"

The voice behind him didn't answer for a moment. As Fox regained his composure the voice replied, "So are you going to become one too? Think about it Fox. You'll be a killer as well. How could you possibly justify killing Panther in cold blood, besides revenge?"

This time Fox turned his head, but his grip on the blaster did not loosen.

Sure enough, Krystal was standing about ten feet away from him, a look of concern etched into her countenance.

"He took you away from me," Fox whispered softly, but audibly.

"No Fox. I left you," Krystal said, her voice shaking a little, "I left because I thought I couldn't turn back. Because I had joined Star Wolf before, I assumed the good in me was gone. I couldn't bring myself to help you as I had done in the Apparoid Wars. It was my-"

"But you only joined them in the first place because I pushed you away!" Fox interrupted, his voice cracking slightly, "Because I didn't want you to get hurt. Panther gave you a better alternative."

As Fox listened to his own words, a deep realization came over him. He slowly, hesitantly lowered his blaster. But just as soon as his arm became slack did it straighten again, this time pointing at his own head.

"So that's why," Fox murmured aloud, "You really should be with him. I've been a fool."

"No Fox!" Krystal's tone was pleading now in desperation, "You're not the only one with regrets! The minute I had joined Star Wolf I wanted to go back and I've hated myself ever since for it! I...I feel _kursed_ because of it." Her violet eyes glistened in the sunlight as a small tear trickled down her face.

And then Fox understood. No one else caught the double meaning of Krystal's word, but it was clear to him now. He had already explained everything he needed to; she knew how he felt, and all that was left was her reply.

Krystal gradually moved forward, one step at a time. "You were worried about me. I shouldn't have gotten angry for that." She was directly in front of him now, level with his green eyes. "I was at fault, and I'm truly, sincerely sorry for it." She reached up and steadily brought Fox's arm down, keeping eye contact with him. She gently pried his fingers off of the blaster and proceeded to drop it on the ground but continued to hold on to his hand. And then she whispered, "I forgive you Fox."

That was all he was waiting for.

Fox threw his arms around Krystal while she did likewise, encircling each other into a warm never-ending embrace. Silent tears streamed down both of their faces as they tried to express their feelings for one another through that simple gesture of affection. Time stood still, and they were completely oblivious to the world. Only one thing mattered to them right now.

It was a very tranquil scene, and the only slight impediment to it occurred when Panther dived forward to seize the blaster below Krystal's feet. Before he got the chance, however, he was knocked out by a swift kick to the head, courtesy of Falco. Wolf and Leon had already been similarly apprehended earlier.

With Dash slung over his shoulder and three unconscious Star Wolf members being dragged behind by a cord he had brought along, Falco left the clearing in the direction of the concealed Arwings, leaving the fox and vixen behind.

He could tell they would be a while.


	11. Reunion

Disclaimer: None of the following characters are mine, and they belong to Nintendo - All of them.

Chapter 11: Reunion

It was almost as if things were back to normal. Just almost.

Only a month had passed since the events on Aquas. Star Wolf had been prosecuted and imprisoned by a court in Corneria, but Krystal was found innocent. She was released only on the grounds that Star Fox would have to keep a close eye on her, a sentence they were all too willing to accept.

Dash had proven himself to be quite a reliable ally, and by Fox's request to the Cornerian fleet he was now an official member of the team. They were all currently commissioned to patrol the outskirts of the Lylat system in the _Great Fox III_**.** It wasn't a very eventful job, albeit an important one.

A typical day for Star Fox usually meant Dash and Falco spending their time in their Arwings, doing target practice in the nearby asteroid fields and sparring each other on occasion. This meant ROB would be left to making all the repairs to their ships. Despite his usual sarcasm, ROB never seemed to complain for some reason.

As for Fox and Krystal, they were practically inseparable. Every day you could find them in the control room, talking to each other in quiet voices and most likely trying to make up for the time they had been apart. Fox never hesitated to start working when something needed to be done, of course, but whenever Falco and Dash found themselves in the same room with the two it was somewhat uncomfortable and potentially awkward. Hence them hanging around _outside _of the _Great Fox III_.

On one of these routine days ROB had called everyone to the control room over the intercom. This was odd, but as nothing else was happening, Falco and Dash joined the other two, taking their seats in front of the enormous hologram projector. Fox and Krystal sat together on the couch, staring at each other. Dash and Falco tried their best to ignore them.

"What's this all about, ROB?" Falco asked.

ROB just shook his metallic head and tapped a few buttons on the keyboard. Then he finally replied in his monotonous voice, "Incoming transmission from Slippy."

Fox's head snapped up. "Slippy? But-"

He was cut off by the hum of the projector as it brought up the image of his long lost friend, shown in the cockpit of his ship and smiling sadly. "Hello Fox."

Fox stood up and took a few steps forward, staring at Slippy's face. He extended his hand forward as if to touch the image, but his hand fell through the hologram.  
"If you're watching this then I'm most likely dead, so don't get the wrong impression," Slippy said, knowing how Fox would react, "I've programmed ROB to send you this message as soon as you and Krystal get back together. I wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you, Fox."

Everyone in the room was still, watching Slippy and holding on to each word he gave.

"Ever since the Apparoid Wars I knew you and Krystal belonged together," Slippy chuckled, "But I didn't imagine she would join Star Wolf. You do know why she did it though, right? Because of the way you treated her." Slippy shook his head and gazed upward. "Don't push her away Fox. She's not inferior, and you know it. Think back to the warrior she once was on Sauria."

As Fox continued to take in Slippy's words, Krystal wordlessly joined him at his side, taking his hand.

"And Krystal," Slippy continued, "If you're watching this too, you should know by now how determined Fox is to protect his friends. I can't tell you how many times he's saved my life in the face of danger. All I can say to you is to get used to it. He's quite hard-headed, you know." Slippy laughed a little again, but soon his expression became serious. "I'll miss the days when we fought against Andross. I'm never going to forget those great experiences, Fox. And, well... I'm not exactly the pilot I used to be. I have a feeling that I'm not going to last long as I go up to help you in a moment. But you know what? It's alright. If my death is necessary in stopping Star Wolf once and for all, I'm willing to do my duty. Don't worry about Amanda; she can take care of herself."

Slippy now stared directly through the screen, as if being able to see Fox eye to eye. "I'll miss ya buddy. Remember the advice I've given you, and the best of wishes to Team Star Fox. Slippy out." With a final smile, the hologram began to depixelate and the projected image eventually vanished.

Fox kept staring into the empty space, contemplating everything he had heard. Slippy. His last words before his untimely death. What his final dying wish was for him and Krystal. Finally taking notice of Krystal next to him, he pulled her close and said, "Never again. I promise."

His words had many meanings, both obvious and implied. To Dash, the spectator who was practically jumping with excitement, it meant Krystal (as well as himself) were going to stay permanently.

It was apparently enough for Falco, however, for he suddenly turned around, walking out of the room.

"Hey!" Dash called out to him, "Where are you going? Krystal's officially back on the team!"

"Yeah, but if they decide to start making out then I don't want to be around to see it," Falco replied as he left through the door.

Dash, now realizing that he was alone in the room with the couple, hastily scurried out to follow Falco. The two who were left took no notice.

"I meant every thing I said on Aquas," Fox whispered to Krystal.

"I know," she replied softly.

* * *

**THE END**

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed my story, and I must deeply apologize to those who I kept waiting for too long. I'll take full responsibility. Now you can leave a final review, and hopefully (if you liked it) I won't have any regrets in writing fics in the future. ;)

Until next time,

Teengamer out!


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